I love quilting. It’s the next stage of my sewing adventure that started when I was 5. That’s right! I was five years old. I wanted doll clothes for my teddy bear. She was a gift from my parents for my very first Christmas. I was 6 months old. I laid my bear on the floor, put a piece of newspaper over her, and started drawing how I wanted the dress to look. My mother helped me cut out the pattern pieces on material but, she would not let me use the electric sewing machine. Go figure!
Years later, I designed my senior prom formal and made it 10 days before prom. I did this because I didn’t like the look of the long straight dresses synced in right under the boobs. It made the girls look like an ill-proportionate sausage. Later, I designed and made my wedding dress because I knew exactly what I wanted but no one was making anything like what I envisioned.
Now, I design and make quilts. I no longer need to make as many clothes for myself as I did when I was younger and working outside of the home. Being retired has so many perks. I do, occasionally have a sewing student. One at a time. One-on-one teaching, I have found, is the most effective.
Recently, it was recommended to me that I put to paper how I teach someone how to make a quilt. Having done some research (I love looking up the history of things,) on the topic of quilting for personal information, I thought I would include some of the interesting bits of quilting information I found.
Quilting is a method of stitching several layers of material and padding together. The word quilt probably came from the Latin word “culcita” meaning a bolster or cushion. The first recorded use of the term was in 13th-century England. Quilting goes back as far as 3400 BCE. Evidence of quilting comes from an ivory carving of an Egyptian king wearing a quilted cloak. The method of quilting was also practiced in Asia and Europe. It was popular to wear quilted garments under chain-mail armor for soldiers. Huge quilted pads were constructed for a soldier’s horse for protection. Then in the 17th century, it was brought to the Americas by the European settlers.
The many lines of stitching together of these layers formed patterns and designs. The padding is referred to as batting or wadding. The term batting is the most common term. At one time, it was strictly functional, then it graduated to a method of re-purposing what was no longer useful for its original use into something serviceable. Now, quilting has become an art form with pieces entered in judging quilt craft shows.
This is where the re-proposing of old unusable garments and other fabric items comes into play.
The parts of those items were cut into pieces and sewn into blocks. Those blocks were sewn into blankets, vests, jackets, and such giving them a new life.
This pieced block method became the dominant form of quilt-making in the mid-19th century. This is especially true during the Western United States expansion.
Before the 18th-century expansion, quilting was not common in America.
When settlers reached their westward destination, women formed quilting bees for their quilt-making. A group of women gathered together in one of the member’s homes, brought their contribution to the bee, and constructed another quilt. This gave the women a chance to get out of their homes and socialize with other women. The first stage of the quilting was to sew together the many pieces into the overall selected quilt top pattern. In America in the mid-1800 the most common quilt pattern was the patch quilt. This consisted of either 4 blocks sewn together or 9 blocks sewn together. These blocks formed a checkerboard. This block-patch pattern could be varied in many ways.
By the time the sewing bee reached the actual quilting stage, there were several layers of material in which to sew through. A variety of stitches were used to create patterns and designs however, the short, close-together running stitch was the most common stitch used. Even though the running stitch was simple, sewing the quilt together was complicated. The needle had to pass through all the layers of material, seams, and bulky padding. Often stitching involved decorative stitches, lines that formed intricate patterns that gave the finished quilt an extra dimension.
Today, quilting can be done by hand on a sewing machine or a combination. Some modern home sewing machines are designed with quilters in mind and feature functions and accessories for flawless quilting. The invention of a long-arm quilting machine accommodates an entire quilt from twin size to California king size easily. Most of these machines have computer access with dozens of per-programmed designs from which to choose.
In this day and age, finished quilts are considered art. Artistic quilters who think outside the box have made quilts that show scenes, tell stories, and create pictures and portraits. Then there is the abstract usage of negative space that is, surprisingly eye-appealing.
That is a brief history of quilting.
Now, let’s get into the actual making of a quilt. There are countless books and magazines such as Love of Quilting offering finished quilt designs, the yardage needed for the project, and instructions for accomplishing the result. There are, also, innumerable videos you can watch online as well as several very informative quilt shows on PBS. My favorite is Love of Quilting airing Saturday morning. I have been quilting for about 19 years, and I still watch instructional programs to learn new methods.
The first step: You need to purchase the necessary quilting tools. This includes the cutting wheel tool, an extra wheel, protective cutting glove; the cutting wheel blade is very sharp. Cutting mat and rulers (I suggest a 24” long and a 6-1/2” square or larger.), 160-inch measuring tape, 2-3 packages of sewing machine needles, extra bobbins to fill before you start sewing; a good seam ripper (a seam ripper is your friend!), and marking pencils specific for sewing. I also use sticky notes and sealable plastic bags to label and hold the various cut pieces. You will also need an iron and ironing board with a clean cover.
Step 2; For first time quilter, choose a simple pattern. You don’t want to become overwhelmed quickly and quit before your first quilt is finished. Now, you can either make it exactly as the picture or you can choose your colors.
Step 3; Visit a quilting fabric shop because the good quality, durable materials are designed specifically for making quilts. You want your quilt to become a legacy piece. Take a picture of the finished quilt with you when shopping for material. Don’t be hesitant about asking the shop personnel for assistance. This is their job, they know the merchandise, and they are probably avid quilters themselves. After you select the bolts of material in the colors you want take them to the cutting table. Lay them next to each other for eye appeal. If in doubt, ask the clerks for a second opinion. Decide on the fabric that shall be the dominant fabric and color. Do this right down to the fabric which shall be the least one used.
Step 4; While you are at the quilt shop, select the backing fabric and batting you will use for your finished quilt. If you intend to have your quilt machine quilted by a professional, you will need the backing to be at least 4” wider on all sides than the finished quilt will measure. This is necessary for attaching the quilt to the quilting machine. It is best to purchase all the necessary fabrics at the same time. Don’t forget the thread. If you have multiple colors in your fabrics, select a generic thread color such as a subtle shade of gray or beige. They are standard color choices by quilters. You don’t want to try to match every color of threat to the fabric.
Quick tip:
Take breaks, often. Like when you change to the next step or fabric. Stretch, take a walk in the fresh air and sunshine. Constructing a quilt is a journey, not a dash to the finish line. You want to enjoy the process, not overtire yourself, become discouraged, and quit before you have a beautiful, hand-made quilt for your bed. When you stop for a break, hydrate and use a non-greasy hand lotion. Fabric dries out your hands.
These are the Quilt Construction Steps
Step 1; Before cutting the material, read through the instructions first. FOLLOW THE CUTTING INSTRUCTIONS IMPLICITLY! Watch your fingers. Wear a protective glove. Once you have cut the required pieces from the first fabric, write that fabric’s info on the sticky note and put it and the cut pieces in the bag. Cut all the required pieces of each fabric for the quilt top before you sew. Save cutting the border pieces until the quilt top is finished.
A quick tip:
When you cut your material, cut enough extra so you can construct one of each of the different blocks to hang on your wall or design board for construction reference. Visual guides are priceless; figuratively and literally. They can save you costly construction mistakes. ¼th inch seams are not always easy to remove.
Step 2; the fabric is cut; re-read the instructions. Keep the instructions booklet near the sewing machine for frequent referencing. FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS IMPLICITLY. Take sewing step 1 to the ironing board and press. Pressing is crucial for a well-constructed quilt. Continue this process per the instructions pressing as you go. When you have constructed all of block A, sticky note the info and them in a zip-lock bag. NEATLY! Or you will have to iron again.
Quick Pressing tip: Press the 2-quarter inch seam toward the darker material. When sewing 2 seamed pieces together lay the seams in opposite directions. Otherwise, it creates too much bulk Stitching through 6 seam layers of batting and backing is extremely difficult.
Step 3; Your blocks are constructed, and pressed. it’s time to square them up. Place the square ruler in the corner of the first block. Align the diagonal line on the ruler from one corner to the opposite corner. Trim off any material that is outside of the vertical or horizontal ruler edge. Do this on the opposite untrimmed side and all squares.
The Quilt is coming together.
Step 4; Blocks are sewn together in horizontal rows or vertical rows. When you have constructed your first row of blocks; take your stick note and mark it row 1. I suggest using a safety pin so it doesn’t come off until your quilt is completed. After your second row of blocks is sewn together and placement tagged; take it to the ironing board and press. Repeat this procedure with each row of blocks until all the blocks are sewn together and pressed. Now, lay it out on your bed, tabletop, or sewing table. Stand back, and take a long look at the first stage of your first quilt top.
Step 5: The next phase is the borders. Reread the instructions. Now is the time to cut the border fabric. Sometimes, the borders are long strips of fabric that run the length and width of the quilt. Other times, the border consists of a pieced pattern that compliments the central quilt body. Again; cut all border pieces required, tag them with a sticky note, and bag them neatly.
Step 6: Following the instructions, sew the first border pieces together. Then add the first border to the quilt base on one long side and then the other. Follow the same procedure for the narrow, top, and bottom ends. Press all 4 border seams at this point. Be careful and patient. It is a lot of material to handle depending on the bed size of the quilt you are making. For example, a finished standard king-sized quilt, including the borders, is 100” -104” x 94” – 102”. Continue in with the remaining boarders. Square your finished quilt top.
The Finally!
Now, you have a finished quilt top. It is time to construct the backing per the instructions. Press the finished quilt top. Lay it out on your clean floor. Fold the backing in half lengthwise to find the center, and mark both ends with safety pins. Then fold the backing in half in the opposite direction and mark the center with safety pins. Lay the backing on the floor SEAM SIDE UP! Find the center of your batting in the same manner. Lay the batting over the backing, aligning center markings. Find the center of the quilt top and lay it on the backing and batting FACE up. Using safety pins and starting at the center, pin all layers together working to the edges. If you are going to hand a quilt, you will need either a quilting frame or a quilting hoop. Before taking the quilt to a professional quilter, carefully fold the quilt into a manageable size and deliver it. DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE. Check out the quilt shops for reviews before you take your quilt to one. I found a wonderful professional woman/owner years ago to whom I always take my quilts. Tiny hand-stitched bed-sized quilting is beyond my patience level!
When you have picked your quilt from the shop, it is time for the binding. Follow your binding instructions. Congratulations! You have completed your quilt.